Business Skills

Essential insights for day to day business situations.

Master the art of business communication and building compelling business cases. Learn to display sound decision making, inculcate respect at the workplace and establish clear guidelines regarding appropriate attire for a variety of occasions. All to make your business succeed.

Business Skills

Building a Business Case (60 mins)

Discover how to identify opportunities to grow or change your business strategy. Identifying opportunities is a tremendous skill for any employee or manager, allowing learners to become true contributors to their organization.Discover how to identify opportunities to grow or change your business strategy.

Business Attire Basics for Men (16 mins)

Are you unsure about what business attire means exactly? Don't fret! We're here to help! We took this information straight from the etiquette gurus at the Emily Post Institute. Your appearance plays a critical role in how others perceive you at work, so knowing the different types of dress isn't just about proper etiquette, it's an essential part of doing good business.

Business Attire Basics for Women (17 mins)

Are you unsure about what business attire means exactly? Don't fret! We're here to help! We took this information straight from the etiquette gurus at the Emily Post Institute. Your appearance plays a critical role in how others perceive you at work, so knowing the different types of dress isn't just about proper etiquette, it's an essential part of doing good business.

Business Travel (60 mins)

Travel is an important part of doing business. In this first program, we'll review some basic guidelines. We will also talk about What to Pack, Where to Stay, Staying Healthy, Travelling Safe Travels, Using Apps for travel and Technology Security.

How to Know What You Don't Know (14 mins)

Donald Rumsfeld once said "There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. These are things we don't know we don't know." That's what this course is about, finding out what we don't know, so we can learn it, get up to speed, and do our jobs better.

Respect Series (25 mins)

Being liked at work makes you more productive, more engaged, and happier in your workplace. It allows your team to function more smoothly. So how do you get people to like you? Believe it or not, there's a professional way to make yourself likeable, and that's what this course is all about.

Business Writing (31 mins)

This course covers the topics of introduction to correctly structuring sentences and paragraphs, writing executive reports and memos for business, how to write proposals correctly for business, writing processes correctly in business, how to use abbreviations and acronyms properly in business writing, appropriate language and correcting usage of commonly misused words

When writing for business, it is important to use grammar correctly. In this course, we'll review the proper use of them. We will review use of Commas, Apostrophes, Colons and Semicolons, End punctuation, Parentheses, Quotation Marks and Common Errors.

Feedback (34 mins)

How's your customer satisfaction doing? Are you improving or declining? Holding steady? How do you know? You might THINK you're doing well, but you don't REALLY know. Do you? So let's fix that! In these programs we'll explore the importance of feedback, different ways to get valid feedback, who to get feedback from, and how to take action on it.

Telephone Techniques (17 mins)

We're going to cover the basics of using the phone in a business setting. If you work in an administrative role where answering the phone for your office is a major part of your duties, then you should find this very helpful. If you're someone that just takes phone calls on occasion, you'll find these tips useful as well.

Working in Retail (44 mins)

In retail customer service, it's important to know who your customers are, so you can identify the best way to interact with them and sell to them. This series will make your life easier and provide you with a satisfied customer.

Working with Customers (28 mins)

To grow your numbers you can't just rely on new business. Maintaining your existing accounts is as important as getting new ones. How do you maintain these accounts? Good customer service.

Cybersecurity series (143 mins)

It's hard to have a conversation about cybersecurity without throwing around a lot of jargon, so in this course we're going to break down some common cybersecurity terms. We'll define cyberspace, cybersecurity, cybercrime, and cyberterrorism. We'll also go over other familiar terms including malware, phishing attacks and emails, and identity theft.

Decision making (36 mins)

Don't you hate making mistakes? Does it make you wish you could go back in time, wave a magic wand, and fix everything? Well, we've not quite perfected our time machine, but we do have the ABCs for avoiding mistakes. Just jump into this course, and say "ABC, 123, presto!" In learning the recipe for making more balanced decisions, you'll find yourself transformed into someone that rarely needs regret!

Decision making basics (33 mins)

Solid, accurate information is the hallmark of any good decision, whether your decision is simple or complex. In this course, you'll learn to make your choices based on the right evidence. We'll take a look at the difference between data and knowledge, and how they can aid in your process. We'll discuss the validity of the information that you're using, and how to determine credible sources. We'll also talk about "analysis paralysis," and when you should stop gathering information.

In this course, we will talk about Introduction to Financial Statements, Overview of a Balance Sheet, Assets, Liabilities, Working Capital, Income Statement, Expenses, Sales, Financial Statement Analysis, What is an Annual Report?, How to Read Cash Flow Statements, Managing Receivables and Managing Payables.

Principles of Accounting (16 mins)

In this course, we will talk about Principles of Accounting, Common Accounting Terms, Cash vs Accrual and Fraud.

Strengths and Feedback (22 mins)

Feedback is a wonderful tool. It can help you improve and excel by leaps and bounds. But how do you obtain it? That's what we'll go through here. We'll walk you through the who, when, and how of asking for feedback, giving you the scoop on getting the scoop.

Taking Control of your Career (15 mins)

The most successful professionals are the ones who take charge of their careers. Your goals are only as effective as the plan you create to accomplish them. In this course, we'll go over what that plan should look like and the small steps you can take in the next week, month, or six months to get closer to achieving your goals. We'll discuss your work bucket list, "dream storming", finding inspiration, creating a timeline, and sharing and comparing your bucket list. We'll also go over some concrete steps you can take to help you achieve your goals.

Unconscious Bias (25 mins)

Painter Benjamin Haydon said, "Fortunately for serious minds, a bias recognized is a bias sterilized." Whether we'd like to admit it or not, we all have biases. You're probably not even aware of some of yours. In this course, we look at how they are formed, what they can look like, and why it's so important to gain "consciousness."

Presentation skills (64 mins)

According to Lawrence J Peter, "if we don't know where we're going, any road will do." So, how do we know where we're going? We need to ask questions before our presentations to make sure we're on target.

Problem solving (87 mins)

Although a "problem solving" series is for those with broken systems, flawed processes or team failures, it is also for you. Unless your team is doing 100% of their job, 100% right, 100% of the time, then you have a problem to solve.

Building Accountability (30 mins)

To have a high-functioning and performing organization you need to have a strong link between three things: employees who take ownership, a culture of accountability, and a high-trust workplace. In this course, we're going to talk about what it means to take ownership of something and why it matters. We'll discuss different ways to encourage employees to take ownership of their work by establishing expectations and defining what success looks like.

Business Meals (14 mins)

Welcome to our course on proper etiquette for business meals. In this course, we'll discuss how to host a business meal. Remember that a meal with a client is basically a business meeting with food. It's important, then, that you know what your hosting duties are. Watch this course to learn about all the details from extending the invitation, making sure your guests have a pleasant experience and more!

Coping with Change (19 mins)

There are two things you need to be aware of when dealing with Change. First, change is constant. Second, your response to change is based on how the change impacts you. People resist change because we are creatures of habit. In this program, we talk about the three phases that most people experience when dealing with change.

Creating Collaboration (14 mins)

The Beatles sang "Come Together" in their 1969 hit. Although it's highly unlikely they were singing about workplace collaboration, the phrase is pertinent to this topic. How can we "come together" as a team to work for the greater good? This course answers that question. It journeys through key factors, such as culture and communication, and will have you at "collaboration station" in no time.

Email Etiquette (14 mins)

We often default to email because we can get it anywhere. It's on our desktop, laptop, phones, tablets, and watches! It's become our "go to" for communication, but email isn't always the best way to communicate. There's still value in meeting face-to-face or talking over the phone, and there's still risk in communicating without the help of nonverbal cues and voice tone. In this course, we'll discuss the different things that you need to consider before drafting an email.

Generation Z (10 mins)

It's the most diverse and inclusive generation yet. At around 23 million-strong, they currently constitute 25% of the population. And within the next five years, they will be the fastest-growing group in both workplace and marketplace. To remain competitive on both fronts, we should know about these Zers and what makes them tick.

Keep your cool (26 mins)

WThis series is about how to keep your cool when things get tense. Before we dive in, we need to better understand how anger affects us. Let's go over the seven universal truths about anger, and take a look at the anger continuum.

Note taking (47 mins)

Welcome to our course on Note Taking. You might be thinking, "Hey what's going on here? I thought my note taking days were over when I finished school?" Well, it turns out there are all kinds of things going on at work that require you to take notes.

Protecting your mobile devices (24 mins)

Passwords are needed for many of the sites you visit every day. You shouldn't use the same password for any two sites, and you shouldn't write them down anywhere. Having so many passwords to remember is tough, so what do you do?

Study Skills (17 mins)

Welcome to our course on study skills. When you left school, you thought you were done with studying, didn't you? Well, in the work world sometimes you have to study. In these programs, we'll talk about where to study and when, we'll cover good self-study habits and how to utilize study groups. This course will cover study locations.

The Growth Mindset (16 mins)

Perhaps you've heard people throwing around the phrase "growth mindset" lately. It's a popular topic right now. The source of all the chatter is Stanford professor, Carol Dweck's 2006 book called Mindset-The New Psychology of Success. Throughout her book, Dweck compares a GROWTH mindset with a FIXED mindset. In this course, we'll discuss the differences between these two mindsets.

The Myth of Multitaking (35 mins)

Take a look at your to-do list. Is there anything on the list that you've been avoiding for one reason or another? If you're like most people, you probably procrastinate occasionally. But how do you recognize that you're procrastinating? And what can you do to get yourself back on track? Let's find out.

Work Hacks (17 mins)

In the course, we will talk about 5 Hacks to a Clean and Comfortable Space, 6 Hacks to Controlling Your Inbox, 7 Hacks for Office Productivity, 7 Hacks to Maintain Work/Home Balance, 5 Hacks for Workplace Sanity, Go Green and How to Leave Phone Voicemails that Get Returned

Your Moving Abroad Checklist (60 mins)

Musical artist Jaime Lyn Beatty has said, "Jobs fill your pocket. Adventures fill your soul." If your job is providing your next adventure with a move abroad, then your life can be doubly full! But before you start packing up, you should do some "learning up." Good research and preparation can reduce stress, add enjoyment, and help you make the very most of your move. This course will guide you through all the prep steps, starting with the info quest.

Integrating Millenials (13 mins)

Integrating Millennials into a Baby Boomer culture is a big challenge for businesses. Millennials are the newest generation to enter the workforce. They are our future leaders. They are our next generation of revenue-generators. In this course, we'll discuss who millennials are, the common characteristics of this generation, how they work, and some ways to provide feedback to millennials. There are many preconceived notions and misconceptions about this generation. Hopefully these courses will shed light on the strengths and struggles of working with the newest members of the workforce.

Using Social Media Effectively (23 mins)

Social Media has evolved from a way to stay in touch with friends to businesses looking to maximize the benefits of social media in their own business plans. This series will provide guidelines for you as you navigate its use in the workplace.

Project Management (37 mins)

If you've been assigned to manage a project, welcome to the world of managing deadlines, managing other people, and seeing a project from start to finish. This course is designed to walk you through the steps and processes you go through when managing a project. There are certifications out there, and this series does NOT grant you certification. It will provide you with the basic understanding of project management. In this first course, we'll define what a project is, we'll introduce you to the four phases of the project management process, and we'll touch on some typical project constraints.

Revenue is the lifeblood of the retailer. They're constantly looking for ways to make more money or cut expenses. As their vendor, where do you fit in? Do your clients see you as a way to help with those functions? How do you get them to see you as an ally rather than just a salesperson? This series will address these questions, helping you take retailer relationships to the "next level."

Revenue is your lifeblood. You're constantly looking for ways to create more revenue or cut your expenses as much as possible. Revenue minus expenses equals profit, so how do you create more revenue? How do you cut expenses? The first step is understanding what makes up your revenue and expenses, and how reducing or increasing those things impacts your profit. That's what this course is all about.

Risk Management Basics (30 mins)

Hazards and risks, and loss, oh, my! At first, risk management can seem overwhelming, even frightening. But, as The Wizard of Oz's Good Witch told Dorothy, "It's always best to start at the beginning..." In the case of risk, you begin by defining it. This course explores the concepts of hazard, risk, and loss. With this base knowledge, you can follow the (not necessarily yellow or brick) road to a solid risk management plan and the peace of mind it brings.

Crisis Management (44 mins)

A crisis is defined as "a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger." These are typically unexpected events that can be catastrophic to businesses of any size. While companies cannot usually prevent disasters from happening, they can recover more efficiently with a planned and coordinated response. In these programs, we'll discuss the importance of crisis management planning and how it can reduce risk, minimize damage, and save lives. Let's take a look three key crisis plans to have in place: an emergency response plan, a crisis communication plan, and an information technology disaster recovery plan.

Managing Risk (39 mins)

As Mom would say, "Better safe than sorry." Why are mothers always warning us to play it safe? Because they're smart. They know that by making assessments and training on safety ahead of time, you can alleviate a lot of trouble and pain. This course (cross) walks you through how to do all that, including OSHA's take on safety controls. Mom would most definitely approve.

Analyzing Employee Performance (15 mins)

If your team is anything less than 100%, as I suspect most are, learn how to use the Can-Do, Will-Do grid to effectively analyze the performance of your employees.

Coaching Skills (32 mins)

How do you get your employees to be better than they were yesterday? What can you do, as their manager, as their coach, to help them perform better than yesterday? Coaching is a skill that we can learn and then follow as a process with all of our employees.

Effective Performance Reviews (13 mins)

You've done your self-assessment, you've kept track of the work you've done throughout the year and you just had your review. But what if, even though you've prepared for your review, it wasn't a positive one? Whether you knew the bad review was coming, or it was a complete surprise, there are things you can do to improve the situation.

Introverts and Extroverts (21 mins)

Who's an extrovert? Who's an introvert? What's the difference? And why does this matter to me? This concept of introversion and extroversion was popularized by Carl Jung, but has gained new movement by Susan Cain through her Ted Talk "The Power of Introverts," and her book. In this course, we will summarize some of what's being said, and help you navigate some practices that will make your teams more productive., Parentheses, Quotation Marks and Common Errors.

Managing for Engagement (53 mins)

What is employee engagement? It's employee attachment, an emotional connection to the work they do, to the people they work with, and to the organization itself. It's a willingness to perform, and a willingness to grow and learn and continue to improve. Is this one of these trendy topics that organizations get hooked on? Is the concept of employee engagement ridiculous, or is it a strategic imperative for organizations that want to excel?uotation Marks and Common Errors.

Recruiting Toolkit (61 mins)

You have an open position and it needs to be filled. It's either open because someone left the company, or it's open because you need to add headcount. The longer the position is open the less productive and the more overworked that department becomes. You can't hire just anyone. The goal is to hire the right person, the best person, the most qualified person. So what happens if you hire the wrong person? That's what we'll cover in this course. We'll go over the impact of making a bad hire, from financial costs and a loss of productivity to a decline in morale and employee respect.

Successful Employee Onboarding (26 mins)

Starting a new job is a big deal. The new hire, after the trials of interviewing, has made the decision to hitch their trailer to your company. So they need to know that the feeling's mutual, and that you are partners. This is done through onboarding. Good onboarding goes well beyond a W-4 and company history spiel. It involves creating a connection, which we'll teach in this series, starting with why it matters.

Team Building (40 mins)

Almost all of us work or play or serve on teams in some capacity, so this topic is an important one. A team is a group of people who are mutually dependent on one another to achieve a common goal. A team recognizes and leverages the different talents and experiences each individual brings to the table, and uses that to achieve their shared goal. We're going to spend some time talking about the characteristics that make a great team, how to develop a successful team, and then how to lead them.

Understanding the Media (21 mins)

Take this course for valuable insight into the workings of the radio and television industries.

Media Training (21 mins)

In this course, we are going to talk all-things-media and how you can use them to your company's advantage. Before you can decide on which media best fits your company's needs, you need to know about the different types available, and who's using, listening to, reading, or watching them. In this course, we'll talk about the history of newspapers, radio, and television and where they stand today, especially regarding digital usage and its impact.

Workplace Sustainability (51 mins)

Many like the idea of going green, but are concerned with initial investments, or hesitant to change a successful process. Change is hard, but the goal is to help you understand how this change will pay off for you in the end.

Performance Excellence (37 mins)

Welcome to our course introducing performance excellence. First, we will look at quality. Whether something wasn't ready on time, you were given the wrong order, or you were on the receiving end of bad service, it can all be classified as poor quality.

Six Sigma (25 mins)

Watching this program will not make you a Six Sigma Master Black Belt. This course will get you familiar with what Six Sigma is, it will get you familiar with terms, process, and tools that are used within Six Sigma. This program will give you a basic understanding so if your company starts using Six Sigma, or if you're invited to be part of a Six Sigma project, you'll have a baseline understanding of the philosophy.

Please note that these courses are in English. Some may have captions available in German, French or Spanish.